Mold form apparatus



' May 17, 1938. w. A. JENNINGS MOLD FORM APPARATUS Filed May 27, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [aka/22W WA Jaw/My; W W

May 17, 1938.

W. A. JENNINGS MOLD FORM APPARATUS Filed May 27, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mum [Md/2Z0! f VZZZZMA Jami/ya Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEQE MOLD FORM APPARATUS William Allen Jennings, Des Moines, Iowa, as-

slgnor to Economy Forms Company, Des Moines, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application May 2'7, 1933, Serial No. 673,214

4 Claims. (G1. 25-131) My invention relates to that class of forms for pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the concrete structures in which there is employed a accompanying drawings, in which: number of panels detachably connected with Figure 1 shows an outer face view of a number each other and detachably connected to strucof panels embodying my invention supported in tural wooden beams for supporting the forms in position by structural beams and illustrating their proper positions. the means for alining and holding into alinement lhe objects of my invention are to provide adjacent side by side panels and for locking the metal panels of this class of simple, durable and flanges of the adjacent side. panels together.

inexpensive construction and of light weight, and Figure 2 shows an enlarged detail sectional so constructed and arranged that they are readview on the line AA of Figure 1. 10-1;

ily and easily assembled and perfectly alined so Figure 3 shows an outer face View of one of my that the resultant concrete wall formed by them improved panels. will be smooth and free from offsets and irregu- Figure l shows an enlarged detail view of the larities such as has been the result of the use of outer face of one corner of a panel and illustratother mold panels now in common use. ing my improved alining device with a locking 15,;

A further object is to provide improved, simplipin in position for holding the alining pin.

fie d and economical means for detachably con- Figure 5 shows a sectional view on the line necting together the panels of two opposed form 5-5 of Figure 4. walls by means of spacing bars extending through Figure 6 shows a sectional view of a portion the panels and the concrete wall. of my improved panel illustrating the closure.

20 More specifically in this connection it is my device for the slots for receiving the spacing object to provide spacing bars having straight bars.

smooth parallel surfaces and so arranged that Figure 7 shows a sectional view on the line during the removal of the panels from the con- I i-i4 of Figure 6; and Crete Wa 1311656 Spacing bars may be readily Figure 8 shows a detail perspective view of the and easily withdrawn through the concrete wall closure device.

without chipping or marring the adjacent sur- Referring to the accompanying drawings it will faces, so that the small openings left in the wall be seen that my improved panel is formed of a by the spacing bars may be readily and easily fiat sheet metal body portion 23 with all four covered over smoothly with concrete; and further marginal edges 2i thereof bent outwardly at in this connection it is my object to provide imright angles and welded together at their corproved and simplified means for accurately and hers.

quickly securing the panels to the ends of the This operation of bending'these marginal edges spacing bars in properly spaced positions and for H is in practice accomplished with suitable formquickly and easily removing the panels from the ing dies so that each panel, and particularly the 35 spacing bars. marginal edges thereof, are exact duplicates of A furt er Obj ct is Provide a improved each other, and by this means I obtain a rela- DaIlBl in Which t entire panel is made of relatively strong and rigid structure, and at the same tively thin sheet metal and its marginal edges time provide marginal edges exactly alike in 40 are formed of the same metal bent at right each of the series of panels with the result that 40 angles and reinforced in such manner as to inwhen assembled to form a mold wall there will sure perfect alineme t 0f t inner a es of the be no rough or uneven surfaces at the outer surpanels When assembled in a m0 d form; and in faces of the flanges, and the outer faces of all this connection it is my object to provide a mold panels will be flush, whereas with those now in panel of this class in which the panel and its common use where structural bars are secured 45 reinforcing bars and marginal edges may all be to the outer edges of the panel body to form marreadily and quickly manufactured with the use ginal edges, the edges and faces of the panels of dies and formers, and whereby the panels and are frequently out of line, resulting in rough and panel alining and locking devices may be used uneven concrete Walls.

interchangeably and produce smooth concrete Another advantage obtained by the. use of the 50 walls in all instances. out-turned sheet metal flanges is that before My invention consists in the construction, arturning them the necessary alining and locking rangement and combination of the various parts openings or perforations may be formed therein of the device, whereby the objects contemplated by gang punches, and each flange is provided are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, with the same openings from the samedies so 55 that when assembled in side by side positions these openings will accurately aline.

These openings as illustrated in Figure 2 comprise a series of openings 22 for the alining pins and a series of openings 23 for the devices for clamping the forms to the structural beams,or for alining pins and also the locks for holding together the marginal flanges of two adjacent panels.

In addition to the marginal edges 2| I provide in the upright central portion of each panel two spaced apart flanges 2 5, each being made of sheet metal in the same manner as the rib 25 shown in Figure 5, and in addition thereto I provide a series of reinforcing ribs 26 extending from the flanges Zl to the ribs 25. All of these flanges and ribs just described are formed as clearly shown in Figure by bending the outer edges thereof inwardly at 21 and extending the openings 23 through both layers of sheet metal ribs. This forms a rigid construction, is easily made, and makes the metal surrounding the openings 23 thick enough to withstand long continued use without change or deterioration.

I have found that panels as constructed can be readily made by machinery so that they are perfect duplicates of each other and at the same time the weight and expense is greatly reduced, making them easier to handle and install.

For the purpose of alining two side by side panels and permanently holding them in alined positions, I have provided on each side of each panel a brace 28 secured to the panel and to the adjacent flange and rib, and having therein two openings, one to receive the pin as shown at the top in Figure 5, and the other indicated by the numeral 29 to receive a locking pin.

Adjacent to and spaced apart from the rib 28 is a lug 36 having an opening therein to receive a locking pin as shown in Figure 4. In the space between each of the ribs 23 and the adjacent flange 2! I provide a slot St to receive a spacing bar hereinafter described, which spacing bar, as shown in Figure 5, has an opening 32 at each end.

In assembling two adjacent side by side panels, I place them in adjacent positions with their flanges 2| together, and then accurately aline them by inserting an alining pin 33 having a tapered point 3 5 and a right angle handle 35. This pin is passed through the opening in the rib 23 through the opening in the spacing bar and then through the opening 22 in the flange 2i, and then through the corresponding opening in the adjacent flange 29. In this manner the two flanges of the adjoining panels are accurately brought into and held in alinernent.

The handles 35 project outwardly from the panels, so they may be easily manipulated with the operators hand, and by turning them it is .very easy to cause the tapered end to enter and bring to alinement the two panels, and then when the pin is further pushed through the panels and around the body portion, the pins accurately fit the openings in the panels and hold them in alinement. Then the handle 35 may be pushed down against the outer face of the panel where it will be held against longitudinal movement by the lug 30.

In some instances it is desirable to lock this *handle in said position, and for this purpose I have provided an opening in the lug 3D and the opening 29 in the rib 2G to receive a similar pin to the one 33, and this pin when placed in said openings, as shown in Figure 4, locks the handle 35 in position, and at the same time locks the spacing bar in accurately spaced position to the panel.

The spacing bar indicated by the numeral 35 is made of a piece of straight flat metal and has the openings 32 at its ends. This bar is inserted through the openings 3| in two opposed panels, and when the alining and locking pins 33 are placed in position, the two panels are accurately spaced apart.

One of the substantial advantages of my invention is in connection with these spacing bars, and when the concrete wall has partly set and hardened, and it is desired to remove the panels, the locking pins are removed and then the operator may, by inserting a proper tool in the opening 32 in one end of the spacing bar, withdraw the spacing bar through the concrete Wall, and since this spacing bar is straight and smooth it may be withdrawn without marring the wall, and the small openings left in the wall may be readily and easily filled with concrete or other material, leaving smooth walls without metal in it which will rust and corrode and otherwise mar the Wall surface.

It will be noted upon reference to Figure 3 that I have provided a number of these slots 3!, and in many instances a less number of spacing bars 35 are employed. It is, therefore, desirable that means be provided for closing these openings 3i, which are not in use, and for this purpose I have provided a block 31 secured to the outer face of the panel adjacent to each of said slots. This block has recesses 38 formed at each end between the panel and the adjacent portion of the block, and the block is formed with a slot 38 extending completely through it in line with the slot 3%.

The closure plate as illustrated in Figure 8 is made of spring metal and comprises a fiat body portion :30 of the size and shape of the slot 31, and outwardly turned end portions provided with lugs 4 l These closure plates are inserted through the openings 39 in the blocks 31 and the lugs ii are bent inwardly during this operation, and then spring outwardly into the recess 38 where they are yieldingly held in position for forming a smooth flat closure for the slots 3i. They may be removed from the blocks and slots by simply pressing inwardly upon the outer faces of the closure plates.

In practical use with my improved mold form, I find that by making the panels with their marginal edges bent at right angles to form reinforcing flanges, and by bending the edges of the flanges inwardly against the bodies of the flanges, and then by forming the openings in these flanges with gang punches, I provide a panel structure of inexpensive construction and of light weight, and which when assembled with other panels in a mold form will produce finished concrete walls so smooth and uniform that they need not be remodeled or repaired after the concrete forms have been removed, and are ready to receive paint or other finishing material.

I have also found that with my improved panel alining device an operator may very readily and quickly insert the alining pins, bring the panels to alined position, and firmly hold them in such position.

After the operator has determined what number of spacing bars are to be employed on each panel, and has placed them in position, he can readily and quickly close the spacing bar openings by inserting from the outer faces of the panels the closure plates for these openings, and these closure plates will be held in position firmly enough for practical purposes.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a form device of the class described, the combination of a form panel formed with a spacing bar slot, and means for sealing said slot, comprising a block secured to the outer face of the panel and formed with notches on opposite sides of its interior adjacent said slot, and a flexible sealing plate shaped to flll said slot and having shoulders at opposite sides shaped to enter said notches.

2. In a form device of the class described, the combination of a form panel formed with a spacing bar slot, and means for sealing said slot, comprising a block secured to the outer face of the panel and formed with notches on opposite sides of its interior adjacent said slot, and a flexible sealing plate shaped to fill said slot and having shoulders at opposite sides shaped to enter said notches, said block being formed with a slot in alinement with the slot in the panel shaped to admit said flexible sealing plate from the outer face of the panel.

3. In a mold form apparatus, the combination of a mold form panel having a slot formed therein, two spaced apart flanges fixed to and extended outwardly from the panel on opposite sides of said slot and being formed with aligned openings, a spacing bar extended through said slot and having an opening therein, a pin extended through the openings in the flanges and in the spacing bar, and having a handle extended at right angles relative to the pin, and a third flange on the panel so positioned as to receive said handle between it and the adjacent flange, when the handle is turned to position adjacent the outer face of the panel to thereby prevent withdrawal of the pin.

4. In a mold form apparatus, the combination of a mold form panel having a slot formed therein, two spaced apart flanges fixed to and extended outwardly from the panel on opposite sides of said slot and being formed with aligned openings, a spacing bar extended through said slot and having an opening therein, a pin extended through the openings in the flanges and in the spacing bar, and having a handle extended at right angles relative to the pin, and a third flange on the panel so positioned as to receive said handle between it and the adjacent flange, when the handle is turned to position adjacent the outer face of the panel to thereby prevent withdrawal of the pin, said third flange and the adjacent flange having aligned openings therein and a second pin passed through said last mentioned opening and over said handle to lock the handle in its position adjacent the panel.

WILLIAM ALLEN JENNINGS. 

